Figurines have been collected by people over the last few hundred years. Traditionally, figurines have been made porcelain or other ceramics. About a hundred years ago, plastics became a common material for figurines, which decreased costs of manufacture and increased the durability. Figurines or model figures have become commonplace. Collectors have many choices of figurines from action figures to sports heroes and from sci-fi/fantasy to Hummels.
More recently, the bobble-head has become a common type of a collectable figurine. In the 1960, Major League Baseball produced a series of player-specific bobble-heads. Over the next 15 years there was a bobble head craze, which moved into other sports, cartoon characters, as well as, rock and roll stars. About 20 years ago, the bobble-head returned and has become a standard promotional item that is given away at sporting events.
However, the industry has a newel for new and novel figurines, which could be used as promotional items for sporting events, movie releases, gift stores at amusement parks, and conventions.